On December 12th Zard released the final works of vocalist and lyricist Sakai Izumi. Just that sentence alone fills me with a strange disbelief and although months have gone by since her sudden and tragic passing I still find it difficult to believe this to be true. "Glorious Mind" is a beautiful song filled with optimism and Zard's trademark coupling of both sweet melody & driving rock arrangement are ever present here in this final chapter of what has been one of J-Pop's most beloved and celebrated discographies. I will truly miss hearing further expressions of heartfelt lyrics and the unique sound and power of her vocals which have engulfed me, warmed me, and moved me since first hearing "Forever You" which was released on March 10th 1995. This final release which is Zard's 43rd single also includes "2007" versions of "Sagashi ni ikouyo" and "Ai wo shinjiteitai." Photos of her complete discography can be seen here as I've collected her complete works.

While "Glorious Mind" somehow albeit unintentionally has an aura of finality, for me personally I've always found Zard's masterpiece "Tooi hi no Nostalgia" to embody the very feeling of closure. What I mean is that it has a sound to it that just brings to mind emotions of a curtain call, last track of an album (although it's actually second to the last),…credits rolling at the end of a film… and so I find it appropriate to end this entry with the sweet poetic lyrics of Sakai Izumi coupling with what is one of my all time favorite J-Pop songs, "Tooi hi no Nostalgia." Originally released on Zard's 3rd album "Hold Me" I find this song to be truly timeless and it always fills me with great emotion whenever I listen to it. I hope you will give it a listen as it's been uploaded and the link can be found below before the translation.

As a final thought here, Sakai Izumi will be honored and remembered at the upcoming annual NHK Kouhaku (Red & White Songfest) along with Misora Hibari. Zard never appeared on the Kouhaku and I find this to be a great gesture and such an important one as Zard's place in J-Pop history shall never be forgotten.

Higure doki yoku futari de aruita ne(We used to walk together in the sunset)Mada kaze ga samui haru no hibi wo(During the Spring when the wind was still sort of cold)Sora miage kagayaiteru ano hoshitachi(Looking up to the sky to see those stars)Te ni todoki sou de sotto nobashita(It seems so close so I reached out for it)Gomen ne naisho de ano koto dekaketa koto(I'm sorry,when I left without telling you)Sugu hanaseba yurushite kureta?(If I told you right away would you have forgiven me?)

Hissori to iki wo tometa arubamu ni wa(I hold my breath quietly as I reach for that album)Togireta shiawase no history(Our happiness ending)Futari to mo asu no yukue shiranai egao(The 2 of us had smiles on our faces, not knowing where our paths would lead us)Mujaki na mukashi mune ga itai(Those innocent days I long for)Yappari dame da yo(No, it wouldn't have worked out)Ima de mo ki ni natteru kara(It still bothers me even now)Hanaseba yurushite kureta?(If I told you would you have forgiven me?)

Ano hi ienakatta kotoba wa ima mo kono mune no naka de nemutteru(What I couldn't say that day, it's still in my heart)Ano toki mou sukoshi otona ni nareba(At that time, if I was a little bit more mature)Kokai wa hanbun de sunda no ni(There would have only been half the regret)It's too lateTooi hi no nostalgia(Nostalgia of days gone)

Just wanted to add, she was already honored in the Best Artist 2007 special, they put a video of Makenaide and said some nice words. Oh, and they talked about this last release too, the program went on air one day before it was released (11th) and I was already wondering when you were going to post about it… It was such a good surprise when they showed that video ❤ She certainly deserves it.

stawberriedoll I hope you had a chance to hear the song along with its lyrics. Sakai Izumi always wrote her lyrics in a way that reflected real life and in that fans really could relate to them in a special way. This is just the tip of the iceberg as she has so many wonderful songs. 🙂

HarimaKenji I'm so happy that she was also honored on this show! "Makenaide" was a wonderful choice of song for this tribute and the lyrics are still some of the most inspiring ones written in music. I'm really looking forward to watching her tribute on the Kouhaku this new year's day and I'm going to have to try and stay up late even though I work early the next morning. I'm wondering if they'll use a nice collage of her songs spanning her career. I imagine that it'll make me quite emotional.

Understand right now I only have 428 dollars left to get me thru second semester at Marshall. I spent 46 on the Junjun scarf, 50 on Nono's second solo photo book, 21 at Play-Asia because they still had Gyaruru's limited editin left, 7 on a Matsuura CD I won on Ebay…and I think thats it….oh I preorder Abe and Yajima's single.

strawberrie looks like you've got some great items heading your way! I just got an e-mail from Ohta reporting that the scarfs have arrived so we should all be receiving them soon! I really enjoyed Gyaruru's debut single and the late addition of Abe Asami but I'm wondering when they will or if they will release anything else as it's been quite awhile since this release. The pv is wonderful with all of the eating going on!! :O Ah the Nacchi & Maimichan collaboration single is getting nearer to release date!! 🙂

Yea, I'm so glad it will come before I go back to school. I totally have to do work study this semester since all these releases are coming. I was going to buy Morning Musume's concert DVD but I have to hold out on it since I owe 200 dollars in February for room & board. I think I will spend on my money of C-ute's third album and maybe Morning Musume's new single.

Mikey I'm happy that you enjoyed this song as it's one of my favorite J-Pop tracks! Sakai Izumi's voice is so wonderful and unique and I'm really looking forward to seeing her tribute on new year's day during the Kouhaku. It's amazing how iTunes can search for album art for so many titles!

I was reading up on her on the Wikipedia. I didn't know that she had died! RIP. It's so nice to meet someone that has the knowledge and the passion. :)I was thinking of where I heard Berryz first… someone sent me the link on Youtube to their Special Generation dance version. Very addictive and kawaii too. 🙂 They need a picture, so that when you mouse over it, it shows their names and some attributes. That would so cool! Maybe a "Name That Berryz" quiz on one of those quiz builder sites… Ideally with a short video clip. I'm pretty good at dreaming up work for other people, huh? 😉

I love a lot of older J-Pop as well as the new music being released today and Zard is one of my very favorites! It was so sudden and tragic especially since she was getting better and was actually planning another tour when she recovered. 😦 Ah I love the pv for "Special Generation"!! The dance choreography is so great in this song and at that point it was one of their more advanced dance routines! Miya is spectacular in this pv and it's ironic that she was the very member who was having trouble remembering all of the dance choreography! :O Back then this single was also their best selling single up to that point in their career. 🙂 That's a great idea! I have no idea how to build websites and always marvel at other people's hard work. 🙂

Yeap, it was Special Generation that brought me in. The are so cute! But it seems just a little naughty watching them, since they are so young…By "generation" they mean like within the group? I thought it meant that their entire age group was special… :)Here is the video I'm talking about, the one with the English subs… HERE

"Special Generation" is a perfect song to be introduced to them by! I still think that it's one of their top tier songs although they have so many songs that I love that it'd be hard to judge them at this point. I think it's referring to their youth as a whole, together. After Momusu they're the next great wave! 🙂 It always impresses me when I see fan subtitled pvs as it must be quite time consuming to do! Not just the translation but also the timing.

Thanks for the insight! :)I highly regard fansubbers – all that work! I try to praise their efforts, when possible. For some reason, I was just thinking about Miyazaki's Castle In The Sky… I love the music from almost all of his anime. And I would be willing to bet you will be blown away by Perhaps Love! ^^I have some of the videos from that movie on my VOX.

I have a few Miyazaki films too! 🙂 His style and storytelling are truly unique in anime and I love all of his heroic characters. Now that you mention it the accompanying soundtracks are very good and I imagine they're being released as albums. I will have to get a hold of this movie along with "1liter of Tears." Thank you again for the recommendations! 🙂

It's so pleasing to share with someone as receptive as you. As they say "Great minds think alike!" ^^Kiki's Delivery Service was loved by the niecelets too. In fact, I am told that they played it over and over again 0^o for days! lolI love the instrumentals from that one too, plus the song Rouge No Dengon is so cute! ^^Video HERE

Although I can't really go against either of Mikey's recommendation, as Laputa: Castle in the Sky and Kiki's are some of their best works, Ghibli (the anime studio headed by Miyazaki) is generally acknowledged by My Neighbor Totoro, Howl's Moving Castle and Spirited Away, to give the English release titles… But those are not really favorites..I love Grave of the Fireflies (Hotaru no Haka), a touching story about the journey of a boy and his sister trying to survive after their city was destroyed by bombs during the II World War. It's so famous it got a live action movie adaptation some time ago, but forget that, the original anime is way better. It's true that it wasn't directed by Miyazaki, but you'd never guess it if I hadn't said.My Neighbor Totoro is basic cultural knowledge to a whole generation of Japanese youth, including H!P members – Totoro references already appeared in H!M episodes. I especially remember one when a comedy duo made a joke with one of the movie's most remembered scenes, the one with the two girls and Totoro with an umbrella waiting at a bus stop, if you've ever seen the movie you'd recognize that immediately. Totoro is more aimed at kids though, but that's not so bad.Princess Mononoke is my personal favorite from Ghibli. Love the way Miyazaki gave the movie some strong environmentalist undertones without making it look like a goddamn Al Gore speech. Overall, this one and Nausicaa have my favorite plots, although my favorite character is in Porco Rosso. And I've been glad to see Mononoke have a great critical reception outside Japan, I've seen it in more than one top 10 lists, that's for sure…But anyway, I feel it's kind of pointless giving Ghibli movie recommendations… You can't go wrong with them, even if you decide to just look for all of them and watch in a random order. Believe me, that's true, I've tested that approach.Going maybe a little too deep in the topic, but Miyazaki is not alone in anime land… I'm waiting the day Satoshi Kon gets some more mainstream worldwide acceptance, that would sure be fun to watch, especially because he tends to have a more complex plot and style than Miyazaki… A movie like Perfect Blue getting the same mainstream recognition as Spirited Away's oscar would certainly help extincting the dumb "anime is for kids" prejudice some people still hold. Perfect Blue is a story about an idol's career… and a stalker. You should take a look at the introduction of the movie in its wikipedia page, it's pretty interesting. The disorientating style of the storytelling in this remembers me of Butterfly Effect, the first one, if you've seen that. I haven't looked at the sequel.

I actually haven't seen "Kiki's Delivery Service" but was tempted by it's DVD release which I've seen a few times in some stores. The next time I see it I'll pick it up. I sure have a lot of movies to watch now!

I do notice that some of the titles that are really pushed in the U.S. aren't actually the ones favored by his fans which is really interesting and a bit strange at the same time. They even dub them in English casting popular actors/actresses which I really don't care for as I'd rather watch all foreign films in their original language. I think there was only one time that I didn't mine watching an English dubbed movie and that was "Ninja Scroll" although after I found out that the original Japanese language version was available I never did watch it in English after that. I love "My Neighbor Totoro" and it was a friend at work that suggested it awhile back as I'd never heard of it before. It seems to appeal to children and adults alike as it's such wonderful imagery along with a memorable story. I really liked "Princess Mononoke" too and bought this on DVD as well. At first I didn't realize all of the symbolism going on in this film! Hmm…not sure what my favorite is and I'd have to give that some more thought. "Perfect Blue" sounds like quite a serious approach to anime with quite a frightening subject. Something like this being marketed strongly would surely get a lot of attention I'd imagine. I really liked the first "Butterfly Effect" and it had a great impact on me. The direction and order of sequences was amazing and it worked so well with this film. It made me see Ashton Kutcher in a whole new light too as he shed some of that "70's Show" label that's kind of been attached to him. How such seemingly little changes can affect so much and albeit it was a movie it really made you think about the consequences for ones actions. I liked this movie so much that I bought the sequel which seemed to be released without any fanfare and it's best to stick with the original! I think the sequel was just a way for them to try and cash in on a great idea but it wasn't very good unfortunately. Has "Perfect Blue" been released on DVD?

Satoshi Kon's movies, more than any other anime movie directors I know of, always have some psychologically complex characters and a kind of disorientating storytelling, where it gets increasingly harder to define what's real and what's not. Butterfly Effect is a textbook example of that, as far as I can think of, so I'm sure if you liked that you'll like Perfect Blue. It was released on DVD, it even has a US DVD version. I see it's available in YesAsia, should be anywhere you look for it, really… It got a very strong positive reaction from the anime community, Satoshi's name is fairly big there, and it got mainstream attention to. Look at TIME's "5 Top Anime Movies on DVD" here, it's right there along big names like Spirited Away and Akira (one you might not know of, but was responsible for the second big anime wave to hit the world back in the 90s). Problem is that there are generally two extreme reactions to anime you can expect to get: it's either considered only for kids or it's considered mindless violence. I think even if Perfect Blue got an Oscar, most people would just throw it in the "mindless violence" bin.

Thank you for the information on "Perfect Blue"…I'm going to check around for it and it's great that it was released in the U.S. as may make it available at Amazon.com where I love to shop! It's impressive that it made Time's top 5 anime films!! It makes me feel pretty ignorant as I've never heard of it until now. 😛 I really should watch "Akira" as it's been suggested to me quite a few times. It made quite a splash when it was finally released on DVD here in the U.S. after only being available on VHS for such a long time and I remember seeing it on the shelves but just never got around to buying it. You may find this amusing or silly as most of the anime I own is of the comical type. "Tenchi Muyo!" (the original series) is my all time favorite! I also love "Cat Girl Nuku Nuku" and "Dragon Half"! I can watch "Dragon Half" over and over and it still cracks me up every time! I love how the animation changes to extreme wacky when the characters say silly things! 😀 And then there's always that single bead of sweat that appears at those odd moments of embarrassment. The writer of the dialog really had a blast making such a silly but 100% entertaining anime! I wish "Crayon Shinchan" would be released here domestically too. A local channel used to air it every Saturday for years and I used to tape the episodes when I had the chance but sadly they're not being shown anymore and have been replaced with grappling type of anime which I find quite boring. I love the older theme song sung by "Sakurakko Club" ("Do-shite?"). It's one of my favorite J-Pop theme songs!

Not really, comical type is also one of my favorites. I used to say I like every kind of extreme – be it the very complex, the very emotional or the very funny. See how I use HarimaKenji? It's the main character from one of the best comedies around, School Rumble ❤ Of course you'll guess that I'm biased to say that, but at least I guarantee there's lots of biased people like me out there =PAkira is a difficult recommendation… I wasn't satisfied with the movie, and I only started liking it after I saw the manga version, which goes further into the plot. It was a revolutionary movie, I can give the Akira enthusiasts that point, but the real revolution was only complete some years later in 1995 with Ghost in the Shell and Evangelion. Then anime directors started understanding how to put crazy plots in anime form. Akira was a first step.

I hope that I;m not overdoing it with all the movie references! ^^ As your friend says, any Miyazaki is good stuff. I've just been keeping an eye out for stuff my 4 and 2 year old hapa nieces would enjoy. Some are just to violent for them now. Even Castle In The Sky was pushing it, I'd say. Just something random… but I loved Bubblegum Crisis 2040 so much I bought the whole series! 🙂 I really like the opening theme song…HEREI think I blogged about it on my VOX.

I never would have figured that out and it's such a great way to pay tribute to a favorite anime and character! I always wondered why "Akira" was so praised albeit I haven't actually seen it and only heard of it, but now it makes a lot of sense as you explained how it started a style of anime. I liked "Ghost in the Shell" and I actually saw it in a theater so now if I watch "Akira" I'll better relate to it knowing what it stands for in the progress of manga to screen.

No, it's really great to have some direction when choosing new series and movies to watch otherwise it would be many blind decisions made by myself and even more so when it comes to anime which I'm not very knowledgeable of to begin with. I've heard of "Bubblegum Crisis" but I think it was an older series. There seems to be a lot of soundtracks available too and having one of the characters portray a singer is a great idea as well!

thanks for bringing Zard to my attention a short while back 🙂
"Tooi hi no Nostalgia" really takes on a greater, almost hallowing existance once you've really settled into the rest of her work. I guess you pointed that out already heheh.

I'm happy that you had a chance to listen to some of her songs! 🙂 This song for me has always had this "closing" type of feeling to it and it's hard to explain. And you're right…it's meaning has grown even larger now. She wrote some of the greatest lyrics in all of J-Pop and I'm so glad that a friend suggested her music to me a few years ago.

I saw Ninja Scroll and Perfect Blue too! I guess most of the anime I've seen is older stuff. I did see the Nana movie though, even if that isn't anime. I loved ALWAYS – SUNSET ON THIRD STREET so much I bought it in Region 2. :)Also, Eve and The Firehorse, a Canadian film you can only buy from their website, but well worth it. Also, speaking of film about the handicapped in Japan: Josie, The Tiger and The Fish… I thought that was wonderful, offbeat film.And the Korean I'm A Cyborg, But That's OK is really something too, staring singing star Rain and Im Su-jeong …I've found the best thing is that peoples' recommendations stick in my mind, and at just the right time, pop up in my mind to pick something good to watch.

A friend here gave me those 2 movies! Ito Yuna who's from Hawaii is in "Nana" and I've bought all of her releases. My favorite song by her is "Truth." It really showcases her strong vocals! I'm guilty of not watching "Always sanchome no yuuhi" yet. 😛 I've read about "Josie, The Tiger and the Fish" but wasn't really sure about it at the time. "Dare mo shiranai" really touched me although I don't know if it's a film for everyone. It was released in the U.S. under the title "Nobody Knows" and the young actor Yagira Yuya was really great in his lead role. The opening scene really comes back to haunt you when you realize what was actually being shown. My Mom watches a lot of Korean dramas and she has one with Rain in it although I have no idea what he looks like. Unlike Japanese dramas, Korean dramas are so long and you really have to commit to them! My Mom can watch them all day but I'm not sure if I could that and it would probably take me months to complete!

That's so cool! We do have a lot in common, it seems. :)Speaking of Nana, I just added Mika Nakashima's Snow Flower video to the DVD of videos I am making. hehe She is so beautiful! It says on Wikipedia that her song Endless Story sold more than Nakashima's Glamorous Sky!I haven't watched too many Kdramas, mostly heard about them from friends. Just to be clear, I'm a Cyborg is a movie, not a drama… and is mainly a comedy. It is by Park Chan-wook:"Park is internationally renowned for what has become known as his "vengeance trilogy", consisting of 2002's Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Oldboy in 2003 and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance in 2005."So, an off beat comedy is quite a departure for him! ^^Oh, and Netflix has Nobody Knows! 🙂

Wow Yuna outsold Mika?!! I find that really great and yet shocking. I like Nakashima Mika too and I have her collection album. A friend of mine actually met Yuna here in Hawaii when she was visiting her parent's restaurant which he frequents on the weekend. He took a picture with her and she even signed for him one of those autograph boards!! I've seen "Oldboy" and "Sympathy for Lady Vengeance" in the stores here…I should pick one up the next time. I really found "Nobody Knows" to be very moving and memorable but have only suggested it once before and that friend didn't really care for it so I've been hesitant to suggest it again. I do hope that you enjoy it if you choose to watch it.

Yeap, that's what it said on the Wikipedia article about Yuna. 🙂 I doubt that happens very often now. 😉 Just shows how big she was when Nana was released! I thought I also read that it was a secret who was playing her role until the film came out, so that lead to some extra excitement too! :)With Netflix, I could see Nobody Knows for nothing, so to speak. And I already trust your judgment anyway. I used to have to buy DVDs from yesasia.com and other fairly exotic places, 'cause I could rarely find them locally. Now, with Netflix, I can have many of them delivered to the door, and see more than I could ever hope to buy. :)Doesn't Mika have a song about a Cat?? ^^

I'm really looking forward to the 16th of this month as Yuna is releasing a duet with Celine Dion!! Celine Dion has such an incredibly strong voice and I think this pairing will go together really well. I wonder if it's being released in the U.S. too…I forgot to take a look. Hahah now I'm a bit worried that I may lose all credibility here if "Daremo Shiranai" doesn't come through for me! 😛 I'm not aware but you're probably right about Mika's song. 🙂

I heard about that. I love Celine Dion! I have quite a bit by her on my VOX. I love her singing in French, especially. Like her song with Garou called Sous Le Vent (Against The Wind) or in mostly Italian with Andrea Bocelli singing The Prayer… and so much more! 🙂 I bought her new album on iTunes the day it came out. That is really impressive and an honor if Celine is willing to sing with her. She can have the best in the world. I hope there is a Youtube to see of their duet. I would like to buy the single, if it's available. I doubt there will be a US release – even Utada's CD when nowhere here.Don't worry about losing your credibility with me… Not very likely! 🙂 Do you know how in geometry when you have the intersection of two circles that cross, the part that overlaps is called the union. I think our union is HUGE! 🙂

Wow you have a lot more Celine Dion releases than I have! This could be a Japan only release but maybe iTunes will sell it. Hmm..maybe you'll order the Japanese version too! I hope they sound great together and this could really push Yuna further into the spotlight! Only about a week more and I'll get to hear it! If I do suggest something that you dislike please let me know as I always like to hear honest feedback.

I sure do want to hear her duet with Celine! 🙂 Jlist has Japanese iTunes Store gift cards you can order from here, and if you ask they will just email you the number, so you don't have to have the plastic card mailed from Japan. I was thinking of getting a $100 one, so I would be good for a while…I'll let you know what I think. Even great unions don't always converge. ;)I really appreciate your suggestions!

Looking at the trailer for Nobody Knows, I was reminded The Owl and The Sparrow, a 2007 Vietnamese film I saw at SDAFF this last year. Simply wonderful! Hope you can find it one day. :)Oh I also like Rainbow Song from Japan! I wanted to see Yu Aoi after Hula Girls, but the whole cast is good!

Haha I just noticed Suzuki Ami's name in there and I had no idea that she had begun acting too. I had purchased some of her singles awhile ago and then she suddenly disappeared from the public eye for quite some time before resurfacing. I sometimes wondered if she had been "blacklisted" from the entertainment industry as this can happen to artists in Japan but was never sure.

Japan's social acceptance and "rules" are quite unique as nothing like this could ever really happen in the U.S. or most places I think. Artists in the entertainment field must be very careful or it's like they get banned from the industry!!

Karasawa Toshiaki, one of Japan’s most celebrated actors whose career has long been a staple of Asian cinema has a wonderful gem from yesteryear that I’d love to share here~…..and like so many other prominent figures in Japan’s entertainment industry, diversity and one’s willingness & interest to delve into and explore longstanding personal passions or perhaps just to experience a career outside of one’s main forte can lead to the often unexpected and ultimately wonderful...

Some of the most prominent idols of yesteryear went on to become accomplished musicians & songwriters which is something that for the most part, today’s idols are perhaps still striving to accomplish. Two of my favorites~♥~ that come to mind readily are Moritaka Chisato and Tanimura Yumi both of whom actually shed the idol tag quite early...

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While Norikochan is deep in thought above thinking about her future……I thought I’d share a bit of her musical♪♪ career and early idol side. =)
Shiina Noriko began appearing in numerous idol publications including UTB and Weekly Young Magazine in the late 90′s leading up to her honor of being named Fuji Television’s “Visual Queen of the Year” in 2001. But unlike previous years which featured only a single winner, 2001 would present four idols being named to this popular title…….but I always felt that Norikochan *shined* the most of the four that were chosen that year and she would prove to be very worthy of the Visual Queen award as she ventured into additional modeling, t.v. dramas and yes~! music!!

One of the first J-Pop artist’ voices that I fell in love with belongs to Mochida Maki and there’s just something so aesthetically *pure* and *beautiful* in Mochida Maki’s voice….in fact I’ll go as far as to say it’s one of the most *pure* voices that I’ve encountered in J-Pop over the years and that holds true till this day~.

Fukuyama Masaharu♥ has long been one of Japan’s most beloved~* icons and constant figures as both a most accomplished musician and actor~…..his talents reach even further though as he writes, produces and has also charmed~* in the likes of radio and stage~.

I honestly haven’t been this moved and impressed by a solo artists’ release in ages and while Acchan has steadily and surely endeared herself to me there’s always that singular moment when you fully realize just how much and liken it to a coronation of one of your most favorite of idols~♥...

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It’s funny how the very initial aesthetics are obvious when it comes to accessorizing as a single cute~♥ hair bow atop is a constant and a fashion statement must!! Mmm but when you really dig a bit “deeper”….Blossom and Takamina….Takamina and Blossom….Blossom and Takamina….Takamina and Blossom…..and soon you can’t tell the two apart or you just feel a bit zany like I do at times :P.

And what’s so different about “Kimi wa, boku no mono” is that it isn’t shot in your typical “idol” way and what I mean by that is that it’s not chaptered into camera seducing♥ segments but rather “Kimi, wa boku no mono” is presented very much like a documentary instead and it’s very warm and candidly~revealing of how production goes on a day~to~day basis~....

Ever ponder what life would be like residing beside Mayuyu♥ post~idol♥ dating into her late 30’s?…or just how often you’ll be “surprised~*” to see omelet rice upon your dining table day or night? Well, wonder no longer as the always experience packed singles presented by the incomparable AKB team have produced a debut single very much worthy of the one~and~only cutest resident nezumi~♥!! You see her voice has always been as preciously adorable as *~animemaki~*...

The stage set up and atmosphere is most intimate and free of any frills or distractions making the music and C~ute’s duo up front and center and while I’ve longed for in the past to see much more musicianship amongst idols as the extra presence of instruments coupled with these all too often hidden talents we know so many of our favorite idols possess, when taken to stage adds an immeasurable dimension to their presence and I believe that to their appeal as well. The presence of a live band versus a recording, then too makes these real~live events even more enjoyable both musically and visually as the nuances of musical improvisation and re~arrangements to familiar songs gives the audience entirely new moods and twists to the set lists breathing an endless possibility for both your eyes and ears. Here the underlying musical theme of sweet~folk~pop takes the reigns on this set list which includes...

I have to start with Final Fantasy VIII. It’s has by far my favorite FF theme song with “Eyes on Me.” Not necessarily the best of the series game wise but I sure really did ♥ it playing for hours into days into weeks. ^ ^ The storyline was no doubt engaging and the characters really grew on you in time in such a real way but it’s this theme song “Eyes on Me” which wins me over unanimously. I had actually never heard Faye Wong sing before playing this game but...

While I think most everyone has either seen or worn seifuku♥ wouldn’t it be cute and sexy* to be able to witness the variations in style and the dressing and undressing of a most adorable idol~♥ as if you were her mirror on the wall~? Um…for educational purposes only of course :P!

For the most accomplished of bands a thorough excursion through their bodies of work is necessary to fully understand & appreciate their accomplishments….for theirs’ is a tapestry on which rare greatness has gone full circle...

Matsu Takako recently released~* a special edition concert DVD set for her “Time for music” 2010 tour and this two disc set includes 19 awesome performances with some very familiar faces as her tour band accompanies her onstage with Shibata Toshibumi on keyboard, Sahashi Yoshiyuki on guitar, Yamamoto Takuo on sax, Kawauchi Keishi on bass, Ogasawara Takumi on drums & the lovely~♥ Matsu Takako performing on keyboards and of course as the lead vocalist~! Wonderfully jazzy arrangements are heard throughout the concert which mainly features the touring~album “Time for music” however there are also quite a few nostalgic j~pop gems too from Matsu Takako’s past release catalog even going back to her very debut single “Ashita, haru ga kitara” which is performed in an amazing new light with a much jazzed up arrangement...

Dating back to 1988, Tanimura Yumi has amassed quite a music collection over the years and even as far back as the early nineties she was already active in writing her own lyrics and music on select tracks. I was so happy to see Ayaya get a chance to showcase her vocals on a Tanimura Yumi composition…well not one but two actually...

~Every scene..a single brush stroke upon the canvas.
Films to savor, for film making of this beauty and depth and scale don’t grace us very often..and the fates truly lie in ways of the wind.
I couldn’t recommend two films any more than the John Woo directed epics “Red Clliff” and “Red Cliff II” and if grading on a ☆ scale these films receive 10 out of 10☆’ｓ。

Every now and then we’re graced with something so unique and special in music♪♪～, artists that move us with their melodies…relate to us with their lyrics and capture us with their hearts~. Sakai Izumi debuted as the lead vocalist for the group Zard in 1991 and for over a decade and a half her powerful vocals would resonate beautifully over 45 single releases and 20 albums (including compilations & tributes)…..she’s truly an artist that has left us too soon~...

Now @ 28 Fukada Kyoko has reached iconic heights as an idol who’s captivated and entertained in the vast opportunistic world of Japanese media where it’s most common for a talent to explore everything from modeling to television to movies and beyond~. Fukakyon♥ was born on November 2nd, 1982 and has remained with a single management agency (HORIPRO) since her early teens when she first began appearing regularly as either a cover~girl or featured girl in numerous idol magazine publications, then most notably with her early Bomb magazine appearances. Her acting career also began early in her mid teens and although Fukakyon is primarily known as a drama/t.v. actress having appeared in an impressive number of dramas which now total over 40 to date she also has a modest but noteworthy movie resume which includes standout performances first, in the dark realism of an idol’s world brought to screen in the 2002 film “Doll’s which mixes dark short stories and the 2004 cinematic~masterpiece “Shimotsuma Monogatari”...

This post is dedicated in the loving memory of my Grandmother♥.
I’ve been wanting to write this post for some time now…as my grandmother on my father’s side was pure Okinawan so this post holds a special meaning for me personally…I hope you enjoy it. ^-^ The lovely Kuninaka Ryoko (Kuninaka Ryouko) was born in Okinawa in June of 1979 and the first time that I saw her was...

Every now and then you come across an artist and individual so amazingly talented and endearing that you do the inevitable…..for me that means going on an instant shopping spree!…(^q^)..where I purchase as many releases as I can find in one swoop~! A seiyuu’s craft is dependant on her/his ability to project emotions, character and just about any nuance imaginable through their vocals as their onscreen personas are brought to life in ways that only a select few born with such *magical* pipes can achieve and excel with~*. I first heard Hirano Aya’s singing voice...

In a musical era where AkiP has brought attention and overwhelming success back to purely~styled J~pop compositions and an approach as well as a product which resonates all that reflects upon Japan’s uniqueness…a purity which over the years has been blurred by outside influences of hip~hop…r&b…euro~pop..and Ameri~pop to name just a few~. Ichikawa Yui in hindsight may have been just a few years too early as she ventured from model/actress into music, too early for the old~school resurgence which is topping the Japanese music charts of today~ and in a lot of ways I think she’s been one of J~pop’s much more underappreciated artists of the millenium~.

Born of Okinawan decent, Ueto Aya’s very first sparked~* interest in the entertainment industry at age 13 as she gained recognition in her very first beauty contest entry~…however much like Fukakyon, Ayachan’s time spent in the idol♥world was brief and was only explored early in her career~. A springboard into numerous successful endeavors~* which have flourished to this day…however before venturing any further I thought it’d be appropriate to first “meet” one of Japan’s most endeared and successful talents~o(*´∀｀)o゛♥...

It’s so amazing to watch Kimutaku, Shingo, Goro, and Tsuyoshi (aka “rice eye”…well that’s what my mom calls him because she can never remember his name… :P ) cook up delicious and amazing gourmet meals!!! I mean they really can cook!!! And not just simple dishes but rather...

Getting my very first taste of what could be Japan’s currently most aggressive all girl band! Four Osaka high school students with a garage~band aura? That was enough to pull me in and now after a little over one week of listening, “Temptation Box” is quickly becoming one of my favorite albums and where to begin?..there’s so much to say!

In preparation for my very first trip to LA and with the one mission in mind of acquiring autographs from AKB48 and Mano Erina that and of course attending a great concert and film event!, surely I needed to have some sort of memorabilia, photos or just something for them to sign, so....

For a somewhat more informative and structured post on Tanimura Yumi see latter posts (also "featured" below)….as today is all about performances and visuals~♥. Tanimura Yumi’s vocals are so immaculate and she makes it look so effortless in concert…..Yumi~chan really embodies all that is possible for any idol who aspires to a much more involved career, one that will leave a lasting impression for years to come. As noted previously Tanimura Yumi’s career went from pure “idol” to songwriter/lyric composer really early in her career and she’s so accomplished on the piano making her concerts appear at times more like recitals in a sense. Her vocal control and range is breathtaking also as will be seen in the following live clips but her pvs are so cute as well~! ^ ^...

Fun fact about Japanese watermelons or “suika” are that they’re much more round than their counterpart American ones so you know what that means right??….they’re great for bowling of course and remember if they drift towards the left they’re not quite ready to eat however if they barrow towards the gutter on the right side then they’re perfectly~* ready to dig into っo(*´∀｀)o! Sorry I just totally made that ↑↑ up just now (._.;)…anyway...

Okamoto Mayo, a most accomplished musician/ singer who’s been active since the mid 90’s debuted with a most distinguished achievement as her debut single “Tomorrow” topped the Oricon Charts at #1…released on May 10th, 1995 it was also a tie~in theme song to the drama series “Second Chance.” Her discography over the years includes 20 singles and 16 original albums in addition to compilations and numerous visual releases from pvs to live concerts. With a most recognizable style and a vocal prowess capable of the sweetest of highs with a range and nuance projected through heartfelt emotions and touch with outstanding control it’s still not her most impressive ingredient stemming from her now long reaching resume in music~...

SCANDAL, I think still the coolest and most impressive~musician oriented all female Japanese rock band since Princess Princess and I love that this album isn’t single~dominated as there are so many new songs here!! Love the entire album top to bottom but I particularly have a soft spot for “Bright” and “HARUKAZE”…♥!...

Like countless others have done so before and since, Nakama Yukie’s rise to becoming one of Japan’s most celebrated actresses/celebrities passed through the gates of idol career, gravure model as well as a venture into a music career…the latter being my initial focus here...

So a couple of days ago my best and closest girl friend~ Couscous who’s admittedly cute~♥ and yummy♥ beyond words announces to me out “out~of~the~blue”….’I think you’re a vaginatarian.’ What exactly is a vaginatarian?...

With HM@ ratings down and the all new “Berikyuu” show on the horizon bringing the promise of something great, I’ve been trying to think of a few ways in which HM@ could improve their show! :P Starting with…

Well Augusta is upon us again…..and yet I know not much about golf technique and I once “scored” a 35 on that ugh!!! volcano~like miniature golf hole….I mean seriously who invented that thing?? (ノロ≦。)！！！

Back on May 14, 2000 Amuro Namie performed for the very first time in the U.S. and it occurred right here in Hawaii! With substantial financial backing and 2 years of planning this monumental concert took place at Oahu’s famous landmark, the Waikiki Shell....

Feeling tired (_´Д｀)ノ。。of your same old wardrobe? Want to feel the euphoria~* of custom idol♥gear? ………(゜∀゜)………。 …but low on cash$? Well now there’s a way~ to get a~hold of rare concert merchandise.. ..and its free!!!! っo(*´∀｀)o! …

There’s a great possibility that you’ve watched this one too! And there are those special dramas which further draw and endear themselves to the viewer and a few weeks ago I found myself again reliving the drama “Long Vacation” as I’ve watched it quite a few times since its broadcast =) and it’s most wonderful that till this day it hasn’t fallen ill to that sense of ‘dated’ or stuck in an era as great love/ relationship stories can be truly timeless,…when of course the storytelling and development of characters is at a premium in writing and talents respectfully...

1. The opening credits reflects so much of the show’s personality and is one of the cutest ever!! One of J-Pop’s finest, Arashi presents you the main theme song…here hit play while I ramble for a little while…

In a span of approximately 55 minutes Kamei treats us to some of her inner most thoughts while on location in scenic Okinawa. Whenever I see any footage or photos of Okinawa it just has such a warm and small town feel to their community and their architecture is always so amazing to see~! Unlike any of its predecessors, in large “20 Dreams” is a personal recollection which delves into a much more intimate look into an idol’s aspirations, hopes and dreams as the title suggests and where other previous releases may have only scratched the surface, Kamei’s narrative throughout covers anything from simple aspects such as hair color, dream bedroom & home design and fellow members to much deeper thoughts of family memories, specific childhood events, and future speculation. And throughout it’s all delivered with cute sincerity and more than any other member in Momusu, Kamei possesses the uncanny ability to incorporate the most adorable random and honest laughter that I’ve ever seen...

あっ！すごいかわいく～♥！！かわいく～♥！！！
Harugon, Nacchan, Rabutan, Ayarin & Mayuyu continue to be the cutest~* of units!…and I’m just listening to their 6th single I know so late XD! While I so adore Mayuyu’s vocals and we’ve had plenty till now with her solo songs~♥, but the more I hear Rabutan’s voice the more she’s beginning to become my favorite vocal in the group =)……and while watching the making of she just sounded so anime~like saying “gyu♥!” each time, like the cutest cutest cutest character you can imagine っo(*´∀｀)o！！

Firstly, I wasn’t ever sure if I would see the day in which SPEED’s all time record sales for an all girl group would be broken and not by a slim margin by any means as AKB48 has eclipsed this record (reaching in excess of 826,000 copies sold) which has stood for I think…over a decade now?..and if there were any single which was worthy of such an achievement surely “Beginner” is deservingly so~. At the top of the Oricon this past week, AKB48 has also eclipsed omg!!! even Arashi’s~♥ used to be leading single’s sales plateau for the year for a single release :O and from the outside one may wonder why this single in particular?..and why now?

Do you crave more girl♥power in your life?
Or do you *secretly*….or maybe not so *secretly* ♥ watching very attractive actresses kick some serious butt on screen?!!
Have you grown tired of watching girls bake madeleines in the kitchen all day while the men get to drive the car?
Hmm…if you answered yes to any of the questions above then “so close” may be just for you~. (￣▽￣)

In collaboration with Aquaplus, Dream Tech has created a beautiful 1/6 scale pvc statue of Kousaka Tamaki who is one of several featured characters in the popular Japanese “renai” (aka dating simulation) game “To Heart 2.” This series has gone from Playstation2 to pc and has since become an anime and manga series in Japan...

Uminii’s newest visual release~* arrived and having gone from seeing her much earlier photographs from “Ao no corridor” initially to now “Umikaze”, she’s matured so much in so little time and she’s simply breAthtaking in this release...

While looking @ my bottle of shampoo a few days ago it got me thinking about the full~bodied model/idol♥…(yup I’m weird that way =P) and how it’s nice to see measurements and not have to ask the question possibly coined by L.A.~ians many moons ago: ‘do u think those R real (・c_・;)？？？

Shortly after the January 21st announcement during AKBb48’s “Request Hour Set List Best 100” the pre~orders went up for Akip’s latest unit interestingly named “Not yet” and such is the venue of favor these days for announcing graduations, debuts and other sometimes jaw~dropping bombshells upon unsuspecting fans’ heads~. Happily this time it’s the birth of a new foursome...

In late ’97 a flash of J-Pop goodness appeared on Japan’s horizon in the form of a most unlikely group of members…in a time when “idol” groups were just about to break free from their brief hiatus of unpopularity there came a group comprised of 2 comedians and a very very cute Taiwanese model...